STITCH LINES...... Ramblings on life as a quilter, stitcher, traveler, photographer, gardener and lover of books, cats and fine chocolate....

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Winter Gardening...





It seems I may have lost my touch..... Maybe I should just stick to gardening in the summer. I purchased an Amaryllis bulb almost a month ago now, and followed the potting directions to a "T". I am not a "first time Amaryllis grower"... I have had many of these beauties before, (see header photo) and indeed still have a number of bulbs, in various stages (although, sadly, none looking like they will bloom this month). This year I bought "Minerva".







She has not budged. Nope, not one sign of growth. The bulb looks the very same as the day I potted it up, weeks ago. I think maybe I got a dud? Has anyone else had this problem this year? I keep telling myself to be patient, that she is just growing enormous roots and then will have a humongous stalk and multiple blooms.... But I'm beginning to doubt. I know, I know, I shouldn't be a doubting Thomas... "Oh ye of little faith" and all that... But I'm getting anxious!! Christmas is coming, after all.... Any suggestions from those experienced with growing Amaryllis would be appreciated. Usually these bulbs pop up pretty quickly. I'm hoping she is just a slow starter...

So it's a good thing I treated myself to another "special" plant this season. I could not resist this beautiful orchid at Sobeys several weeks ago. It has been "color infused"- in other words the blue color is not natural, and subsequent bloomings (if I'm lucky enough to get it to bloom again) will revert to the plant's natural bloom color which in this case is purple. (In fact, you can see the smallest blooms- the buds which have opened in the last week - have little blue and are mostly the natural purple color.) But isn't this electric blue, on top of the purple, gorgeous? (Kinda like those beautiful overdyed fabrics!!) Being a blue-lover, I just could not pass it by!! I have no experience with orchids at all, but I'm going to give it a try! This Phalaenopsis orchid has been named "Blue Mystique"  and comes from Silver Vase Orchids in Homestead, Florida (southwest of Miami). You can read more about Blue Mystique here.  I'll have more photos of my Blue Mystique tomorrow...

Do you treat yourself to any special plants at Christmas?

Peace,
Linda

"Learn the art of patience. Apply discipline to your thoughts when they become anxious over the outcome of a goal. Impatience breeds anxiety, fear, discouragement and failure. Patience creates confidence, decisiveness, and a rational outlook, which eventually leads to success." ~ Brian Adams

6 comments:

Pamela Gordon said...

Your Amaryllis looks like mine, Linda. A dud!!! I was at SuperStore this afternoon and talked with the lady in the floral department about my dud. She suggested I give it another week (it's been 2) then bring back. I didn't do anything different than other years although last year's was slow too and finally took off and produced gorgeous blooms (4 of them!). Today I bought a creamy Poinsettia. $11.99 and in a lovely silver 12 inch tin. It's beautiful. I thought is was a good mild day to bring one home and I put it in one of their sleeves to protect it. I haven't bought a poinsettia for a few years and don't really have a place to sit it so it's in the plant stand where the Amaryllis was. I've moved it and am still hoping for some life in it. The paperwhites that I planted the same day as the Amaryllis are starting to bloom but they are rather skinny looking. I've never had an orchid but the one you got is really gorgeous. I didn't know they 'dyed' them. Good luck with the Amaryllis! Take it back.

Boud said...

Iwas about to comment when a neighbor stopped in and finally left several hours later...just to say I had exactly this situation a year or so ago, with an amaryllis that wasn't inclined to get with the program. I did hang in there, and mid December all of a sudden it started to take off and by early Jan was perfectly beautiful, full sized and blooming. Not quite on schedule, but she ended up being really worth keeping.

Jeanna said...

Sorry about your amaryllis Linda. I have never tried bulbs so I don't have any advice to offer but I love your orchid. It's reminds me of batik fabric...you have beautiful batik orchid :)

~Lavender Dreamer~ said...

I always love having amaryllis when we lived in Texas. I keep a little Christmas cactus and I have a poinsettia in my flower bed that looks gorgeous right now. I'll probably buy another one for inside soon. Sweet hugs!

quilton said...

I buy my husband a plant every year for Christmas. Last year an Amaryllis and a Christmas (?) cactus that has bloomed already. We were extremely lucky one year with our Amaryllis. We had 16 blooms on it. He will get another this year and perhaps some paperwhites. I don't buy Poinsettia anymore.

GailM. said...

Oh too bad about the amaryllis. I had one a couple of years ago, and it well into January when it bloomed. I love your blue and purple orchid. I didn't know they could do that coloring to orchids. I've seen carnations tipped in color, but never orchids. Nice.

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